GAME OVERVIEW

Cellulose is a worker placement game set inside a plant cell. Players take turns activating
organelles that contribute to the function and health of the cell. They will compete for limited
access to water and other resources, carry out photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates, and
release plant growth hormones to grow their plant’s roots and shoots, giving them better access
to resources on future turns. Players score points for building carbohydrates into the cell wall, for
contributing water to the central vacuole, and for constructing cell components such as enzymes,
starches, and protein storage vacuoles. The game continues until the cell wall is completed, and
the player with the most points is the winner.

GAME COMPONENTS

1 Double-Sided
Game Board 1 Double-Sided
Plant Board

46 Cell Component
Cards 1 Water
Marker
Level
1 First
Marker
Player

2
 RESOURCE COMPONENTS

45 Water 30 CO 2 25 Proteins

8 6x Water 6 6x CO 2
15
Plant Growth
Hormones

25 Carbohydrates
25 ATP 8 Extra
Tokens
Resource

PLAYER PIECES

Action Health Central Plant

3 Markers 1 Point 1 Vacuole
Marker
2 Growth
Marker Markers Gray
3 Action
Markers

5 Sets of Pieces in Player Colors

Round structure
e
Receive Sunrise incom
to take
Take turns placing
play 1
an action, then may
for the next Round :
Prepare
rs
Recover Action Marke

2 Scenario 4 Evening Phase

5 Player
,
Winner advances, gains
removes , takes
(4-5 : 2 Winners)

Cards Reminder Tokens Aids

Add next to Cell Wall,
Check for Game End
/
Reset Water to /
spaces,
Remove Cards in X
slide down, refill Cards

playing ivy’s cards

Cards
Ivy gains Cell Component
once
and begins playing them

16 Solo
After
the Cell Wall reaches .

Double-Sided
1
/
!
taking each Action, she plays

1 Solo
the indicated Card if able.
/

Solo Mat Cards

!
and 1 .
1

Pay 2 for 12

!
Pay for 4 and .
Aid
No cost, activate bottom
available Enzymes and move
Easy them to the top.
.
No cost, only used for scoring
Receptors score 6

1 Rulebook 1
Science Behind
Cellulose Booklet

3
 2 Place the Water 3 Place 1 Gray Action
GAME SETUP Level Marker on Marker (1-3 ) or 2 Gray
the starting space Action Markers (4-5 )
of the Water Level next to the Central Vacuole
Track, indicated by for the Central Vacuole
1 Place the Game Board in the
center of the play area showing
(5 Water). Majority Reward.

the side corresponding to the

number of players (1–3 or
4–5 , shown in the lower-right
corner). Place the Plant Board
nearby with the “Sprout” side
up, as shown.
(4 example setup shown.)

5B
Scenario Play and Solo Mode
For Scenarios and the Mangrove Board,
see p. 20. For Solo Play, see pp. 21-27.

8 Optionally, assign players the 4

Evening Phase Reminder Tokens to
ensure that all Evening Phase Steps
are completed each Round.
You are now ready to play Cellulose!

6 Give the First Player Marker to

the last one to water a plant (or
decide randomly). Play will proceed
clockwise from this player, and

7 Shuffle the Cell Component Cards,

and place the deck face down
subsequent players are given the
following starting resources:
next to the board, with room for a 2nd Player — 2 Water
discard pile. Place 4 Cards face up 3rd Player — 3 Water
onto the spaces on the board. 4th Player — 4 Water
5th Player — 5 Water
4
 GAME SETUP

Place the resources in reach of all players. All

4 resources are unlimited — use a multiplier
token or replacement if they run out.

5c

5 a Each player takes the pieces in their player

color: 3 Action Markers , 1 Health Point
Marker , 1 Central Vacuole Marker ,
and 2 Plant Growth Markers .
Exception: In a 1-2 game, each player
also takes 1 Gray Action Marker .

b Each player places their Health Point and

Central Vacuole Markers on the starting
spaces of the corresponding Tracks, as shown.

c Each player places their Plant Growth

Markers on the starting spaces of the Shoot
Track and Root Track on the Plant Board,
indicated by .

5
 GAME CONCEPTS

PHASES OF A ROUND

Cellulose is played over a series of Rounds (days), each with the following 3 phases:

Sunrise — In the Sunrise Phase, players collect Water

( ) and Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) income according
to the Plant Board. Throughout the game, you will have
the chance to advance along the Plant Board Tracks
and play Cards in order to increase the resources and
other bonuses you receive each Sunrise.

Daytime — During the Daytime Phase, players take turns placing

their Action Markers ( ) on Action Spaces and immediately
taking the corresponding actions. Action Spaces are limited, so
you must choose carefully, knowing that other players might take
the best spaces earlier and block your options for the Round.

Action Spaces allow you to collect and convert resources, advance on the
Plant Board Tracks, contribute to building the Cell Wall, and gain Cell Component Cards.

After you place an Action Marker, you may play 1 Cell Component Card from your hand by
paying its cost.

Evening — After all players have placed all of their Action Markers, several cleanup steps
occur in the Evening Phase in order to refresh the Board for the next Round.

THE CELL WALL

A plant’s cell wall is composed of carbohydrates in the chemical

form cellulose. Running through the center of the Game Board,
the Cell Wall has spaces where Carbohydrates ( ) will be placed,
from left to right. The Cell Wall is one of the primary ways to score
Health Points, and it determines the length of the game.

Players will have opportunities to add their Carbohydrates to the Cell Wall, receiving the Health Points
shown on the space covered. The point values fluctuate, so timing this action well can score more Points.

During each Evening Phase, 1 Carbohydrate is added to the next open space on the Cell Wall. The game
ends when the Cell Wall has been completed; that is, when all of the spaces on the Cell Wall are covered.
6
 GAME CONCEPTS

WATER LEVEL TRACK

The Water Level Track on the left side of the board marks the Water
available for players to collect and use each Round. The Water Level
Marker ( ) is lowered each time players take an action to collect
Water or CO 2. If the Water Level Marker reaches the bottom space, no
more Water is available for the Round.

During the Evening Phase, the Water Level Marker resets for the
following Round. As sections of the Cell Wall are completed, the Water
Level will be reset to higher levels and more Water will be available.

CENTRAL VACUOLE

Players can add Water to the Central Vacuole when

performing various actions. When doing so, players place
Water on the region of the Central Vacuole matching their
player color.

In the Evening Phase of each Round, Central Vacuole

Rewards are given for having contributed the most Water
to the Central Vacuole.

RESOURCE BENEFITS AND COSTS

Resources gained through actions are shown in white numbers.

Costs for actions or on Cards are always shown in red numbers.
RESOURCES
PAY 2 PLANT
GAIN 6 WATER WATER
HORMONES
CO 2
Other common benefits in the game:
PROTEIN
Gain 3 Health Points CARBOHYDRATE
Add 2 Water to the Central Vacuole (from the general supply) PLANT HORMONE
Draw the top face-down Card ATP

7
 SUNRISE PHASE

Each Round begins with the Sunrise Phase, in which players receive income according to the Plant
Board and any of the Cell Component Cards they have played which have Sunrise bonuses.
Each player checks their Plant Growth Markers
and receives income from the following sources:

The Shoot Growth Track on the top half of

the Plant Board may provide:
CO2
A bonus Photosynthesis action
(exchange 6 +6 for 1 )

The Root Growth Track on the bottom

half of the Plant Board may provide:
Water
Protein
Add Water to the
Central Vacuole (from the supply)

Note: Sunrise income is only shown

on banners . Plant Board spaces
also have costs (red numbers with
resources) and may have one-time
benefits (shown with ).
Example: In the Sunrise Phase, Samira collects 6 CO2, 3 Water, and 1
Protein from her Purple Plant Growth Markers. She has the option
Some Cell Component
of taking the Photosynthesis action, exchanging 6 Water and 6 CO2
Cards have Sunrise
for 1 Carbohydrate (she may use the resources just acquired to do
bonuses as well
so). Samira’s Aquaporin Card also adds 1 Water to her region of the
(see p. 16)
Central Vacuole. Note that she does not receive any Health Points for
her Marker on the Shoot Track, since this was a one-time bonus.

The player with the First Player Marker receives their income first, proceeding in clockwise order
(though players can typically just take these simultaneously). Each player may take their Sunrise
income benefits in any order, potentially using some benefits to pay for others (for example, using
Water and CO2 for Photosynthesis).

8
 daytime phase
DAYTIME PHASE

In the Daytime Phase, players take turns placing 1 of their Action Markers ( ) on an
available Action Space and immediately taking the corresponding action. They may then
play 1 Cell Component Card from their hand (see Daytime: Playing Cards, pp. 14–16).

The player with the First Player Marker takes the first turn of the Round, then play proceeds
clockwise. On your turn, you must place 1 of your Action Markers to take an action. Some
players might run out of Action Markers earlier than others. If you have no remaining Action
Markers, you automatically pass your turn. Play continues until all players run out of Action
Markers, then proceeds to the Evening Phase.

There are 2 types of Action Spaces: Small Action Spaces (for 1

Action Marker) and Large Action Spaces (for any number of
Action Markers of different colors). You may not place an Action
Marker on a Small Action Space that already has an Action
Marker, and you may not place an Action Marker on a Large SMALL ACTION SPACE
Action Space that already has an Action Marker of that same 1 Action Marker
color. You also may not place an Action Marker on any Action
Space with an action you cannot take (for example, if it requires
resources that you don’t have).

Note: These are the only restrictions on placing Action Markers.

You may use different Action Spaces corresponding to the same
LARGE ACTION SPACE
action. You may also use a Large Action Space multiple times in a 1 Action Marker per Color
Round by using a Gray Action Marker or certain Card effects.

Example: David places his Action

Marker to make ATP ( ). He
pays 1 Carbohydrate ( ) and
takes 6 ATP. He may then play 1 Cell
Component Card from his hand.
He plays a Lipase Enzyme, paying
1 ATP and 2 Proteins ( ), and
immediately receiving the benefit
shown ( ).

9
 DAYTIME ACTIONS
The actions players may take are:

COLLECT WATER (XYLEM)

Collect Water ( ) according to the current Water

Level, then move the Water Level Marker ( ) down 1
space. This action may not be taken if the Water Level
Marker is currently on the lowest space.

When taking Water in this way, you may add up to 3

Water directly to the region in the Central Vacuole
matching your player color.

Example: Theo places his Action Marker on the

Xylem Action Space while the Water Level is at
5. He keeps 3 Water and adds 2 to the yellow
region on the Central Vacuole. He then moves
the Water Level down to 4.

COLLECT CO 2 (STOMATA)

Collect CO 2 ( ) as shown on the Action Space: 6 CO 2 for the Small

Space or 4 CO 2 for the Large Space. After collecting CO 2, move the
Water Level Marker ( ) down 1 space, if able. This action may be
taken even if the Water Level is already at the bottom space of the
Water Level Track.

MAKE CARBOHYDRATES (CHLOROPLASTS)

Convert 6 Water and 6 CO 2 into 1 Carbohydrate ( ). There is a

Large Space to perform this conversion 1 time, as well as 1 Small
Space to perform the conversion exactly 2 times (exchange 12
Water and 12 CO 2 for 2 Carbohydrates). Making a Carbohydrate is
necessary to Build the Cell Wall or Make ATP (the next 2 actions).
Throughout the game, whenever an effect allows you
to take the Photosynthesis action, it enables this exact
exchange (6 +6 for 1 ).

10
 daytime: actions

BUILD CELL WALL (CELL WALL)

Place 1 of your Carbohydrates ( ) on the next available Cell

Wall space to earn the Health Points indicated. Carbohydrates
must be placed in order from left to right; players may not skip
ahead to higher-scoring spaces.

Additionally, whenever a player adds a Carbohydrate to the Cell

Wall (using this Action Space or other effects), they also add
1 Water from the general supply to the region in the Central
Vacuole matching their player color.

If the Cell Wall is completely covered, Carbohydrates can no longer be added, and the
game will end in the current Round’s Evening Phase. Carbohydrates that have not been
placed on the Cell Wall are each worth 4 Health Points during Endgame Scoring.

Example: Nori takes the Build Cell Wall action and adds 1 of her
Carbohydrates to the Cell Wall, scoring 7 Points. She also adds 1
Water to her region of the Central Vacuole.

MAKE ATP (MITOCHONDRIA)

Convert 1 Carbohydrate ( ) into ATP ( ). This

action produces either 6 ATP or 5 ATP, depending
on which Action Space is taken. ATP is used to pay
for some spaces on the Shoot and Root Growth
Tracks on the Plant Board and to play certain Cell
Component Cards.

COLLECT PROTEINS (RIBOSOMES)

Collect either 5 Proteins ( ) or 3 Proteins,

depending on which Action Space is taken. Proteins
are mainly used to play Cell Component Cards.

11
 daytime: actions

COLLECT PLANT HORMONES (CYTOPLASM)

Collect either 3 or 2 Plant Growth Hormones ( ), depending on

which Action Space is taken. Plant Growth Hormones are used to
advance your Plant Growth Markers on the Plant Board to receive
additional income.

PLANT GROWTH (PLASMA MEMBRANE)

Advance 1 of your Markers ( ) on the Plant Board to earn

additional income. There are 3 Action Spaces: a Shoot Growth
Space to move up the top half of the Plant Board, a Root
Growth Space for the bottom half, and a Space that costs
1 Protein ( ) to do either or (not both).

To take the Plant Growth action, move your corresponding

Plant Growth Marker to the next connected space on its
Track on the Plant Board, paying the indicated cost. Spaces are connected by the Plant Board
art showing shoot and root systems. If multiple paths are available, you may choose any
connected space, but will not be able to move backwards later. Different players may have
Plant Growth Markers on the same space.

When moving to a new space:

Some spaces on the Plant Board provide a one-time bonus (Health Points, resources, or a
Cell Component Card), shown by . Take these immediately when moving onto the space.

All spaces on the Plant Board have banners with resource income and/or bonus actions.
You will receive these on every subsequent Sunrise Phase, while still on that space
(see Sunrise Phase, p. 8).

Example: David places his Action Marker on the Plant

Growth Action Space for advancing his Shoot Growth
Marker. He has 2 paths available from his current space,
with different costs and benefits. David decides to go to the
left and pays 2 ATP and 1 Hormone. He immediately draws
a Cell Component Card, and will begin earning 6 CO2 and a
bonus Photosynthesis action on the next Sunrise Phase.
12
 daytime: actions

TAKE FIRST PLAYER MARKER (NUCLEUS)

Pay 1 CO2 ( ) to take the First Player Marker ( ) and draw

the top face-down Cell Component Card from the deck into your
hand. Receiving the First Player Marker has no immediate effect,
but you will go first in the next Round. This is the only way that the
First Player Marker changes possession throughout the game.

You may take the First Player action even if you already have
the First Player Marker.

TAKE CELL COMPONENT CARDS

Take a Cell Component Card from the face-up options into your hand, paying the CO 2
cost shown above the Card. Cards have a variety of costs and benefits, and you may
play 1 Card each turn after completing your action. Empty spaces are not refilled until
the Evening Phase.

Note: The face-up Cell Component Cards on the Board are only taken through the corresponding
Action Spaces. Benefits with the icon draw a face-down Card from the deck.

13
 DAYTIME PHASE: PLAYING CARDS
CARD
NAME
After placing an Action Marker and taking an action, you may
also play any 1 Cell Component Card from your hand by paying COST TO
its cost and placing it face-up in front of you. You may only PLAY CARD
play Cell Component Cards after placing an Action Marker to
take an action, regardless of the action taken. You may play a
Card on the same turn that you gain it. IMMEDIATE
BONUS

After playing a Cell Component Card, earn Health Points

HEALTH
and any immediate bonuses on the card. Some cards have POINTS SCORED
ongoing abilities (described below).

There is no limit to the number of Cards you may have in your hand or in play, including
duplicate copies of the same Cards.

Starch Cards allow you to immediately draw the

indicated number of Cell Component Cards from the
deck, and then discard the indicated number of Cards
to the discard pile. You may discard Cards that were in
your hand prior to playing the Starch.

CARDS CARDS
TO DRAW TO DISCARD

Protein Storage Vacuole (psv) Cards allow you to

reclaim 1 of your previously placed Action Markers from an Action
Space. In effect, playing PSV Cards gives you extra actions, since you
will be able to place the Action Marker again later. They also free up
Small and Large Action Spaces, providing the possibility of using the
same Space multiple times in the same Round.

14
 daytime: playing cards
Enzyme Cards provide a variety of benefits
when played, then can be re-activated each
time you play a new Enzyme Card:
When you play an Enzyme, receive its immediate
bonus as normal, and place it in front of you.

For the rest of the game, Enzymes in your play area

can be activated whenever you play a new Enzyme
by paying 1 Protein ( ) to gain the activation IMMEDIATE
bonus on the bottom orange bar of the Card. BONUS

In this way, each new Enzyme you play allows you to

activate any number of previously played Enzyme Cards,
paying 1 Protein for each Enzyme you wish to activate. COST TO
ACTIVATE
ACTIVATION
Enzyme bonuses include the following: BONUS

Gain 2 Take the Take the Build Cell Take a Root or Shoot
Health Points Photosynthesis action Wall action Plant Growth action

Draw the top Cell Component Place 2 Water from the general supply
Card from the deck on your region of the Central Vacuole

Example: Samira pays 1 ATP and 1 Protein to play a Vacuolar Processing Enzyme. She
immediately receive 3 Health Points and add 3 Water (from the general supply)
to her region of the Central Vacuole.

She can also activate any

number of her previously played
Enzyme Cards: she pays 1 Protein to
use RuBisCO and take the Photosynthesis
action. She could also pay another Protein to activate her GH3
Synthetase, but she does not have the required resources to advance on
the Plant Board.

Finally, she adds the Vacuolar Processing Enzyme to her stack of Enzyme
Cards. The next time she plays an Enzyme, she will have the potential to
activate any number of her 3 completed Enzyme Cards.
15
 daytime: playing cards
Specialization Cards score Endgame Health Points
ongoing bonuses. The 5 Specialization Cards are:
During Endgame Scoring,
gain Health Points equal
to the amount of CO2 you
receive each Sunrise.
Each Sunrise, place 1 Water from
the general supply on your region
of the Central Vacuole.
During Endgame Scoring, receive
Endgame Health Points for double
the Points shown on your space of
the Central Vacuole Track.
16
. Some Cards also provide
Example: Nori earns 6 Water
During Endgame Scoring, each Sunrise, and will therefore
gain Health Points equal to score 6 Health Points for her
the amount of Water you Cytokinin Receptor Card.
receive each Sunrise.
When reclaiming an Action Each Sunrise, you may pay 1
Marker using a PSV, you Protein to activate 1 of your
may play the Action Marker previously played Enzyme Cards.
immediately.
During Endgame Scoring, gain
During Endgame Scoring, 1 Health Point per Enzyme Card
score 2 Health Points per you have played.
PSV Card you have played.
Example: David is on the space of the
Central Vacuole. He will score 6 additional
Endgame Health Points for each of his
Aquaporin Cards.
 EVENING PHASE
EVENING PHASE
To allow this Phase to
Once all players have placed all of their Action Markers, advance
proceed quickly, use the
to the Evening Phase to reset the Board for the next Round.
Evening Phase Reminder
Tokens to assign steps 2–5
1 Retrieve Action Markers: All players collect their
Action Markers from the Game Board (including 1 Gray Action to players.
Marker each in a 1-2 game). Return the Central
Vacuole Gray Action Marker(s) to the Central Vacuole.

2 Central Vacuole Majority reward: Check the Central Vacuole to see who has
contributed the most Water and will score the Central Vacuole Reward(s). The player with the
most Water in the region corresponding to their player color will:
a. Advance their Central Vacuole Marker along the Central Vacuole Track and
immediately score the indicated number of Health Points.
c. Remove the Water from only their region, returning it to the general supply.
c. Take a Gray Action Marker for the following Round.

In a 4-5 game, repeat these steps for a second Central Vacuole Reward.

Ties for a Central Vacuole Reward are fully shared (all tying players score), but players will
only take a Gray Action Marker if there enough Gray Action Markers still available for all the
tying players. A tie will always end the Central Vacuole Rewards for that Round. (For detailed
examples, see Rules Clarifications, p. 19.)

If a player wins the Central Vacuole Reward while their Marker is at the top of the track, their
Marker does not move, but they score 2 Health Points.

A player must have Water placed to win a Reward. If no Water is placed in the Central Vacuole,
no Rewards are given.

Example: At the end of the Round, Samira has the Central Vacuole majority
with 8 Water, while Theo and Nori are tied with 4 Water. Samira scores
first: she moves up the Track, scores 3 Health Points, takes a Gray Action
Marker, and returns the Water in the purple region to the general supply.

Theo and Nori will both move up the track and score the indicated Points -
1 Point for Nori and 2 Points for Theo. However, because only 1 Gray Action
Marker remains, neither will receive it. Theo and Nori will still remove the
Water from their regions of the Central Vacuole.

David, who only had 1 Water, receives nothing. However, he is now the only
player with any Water in the Central Vacuole at the start of the next Round.
17
 Evening Phase, Ending the Game

3 Cell Wall: Add 1 Carbohydrate from the general supply to the next empty space on the
Cell Wall (no one scores these Points).

If the final space of the Cell Wall is now covered (or was already covered), the game is
over, and Endgame Scoring will occur.

4 water level: Reset the Water Level Marker (

according to the last fully-completed section of the
)

growing Cell Wall. For example, the Marker will reset

to (5 Water) at the beginning of the game until
Carbohydrates have covered all spaces up to the . After that
point, the Water Level Marker will reset to (6 Water) at the end of the Round.

cell component cards: Discard any Cell Component Cards remaining in the leftmost
5 2 Card spaces (for 1-3 ) or leftmost 1 Card space (for 4-5 ), as indicated by “X”. Slide the
remaining Cards to the left, then replenish all empty spaces with face-up Cards from the
deck. If there are no cards left, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

If the Cell Wall has remaining space, proceed to the Sunrise Phase of the next Round.

ENDING THE GAME

When the Cell Wall is complete during the Cell Wall step of the Evening Phase, the game is over.
Note that if the final space on the Cell Wall is covered by a player during the Daytime Phase, players
still continue the Daytime Phase until all Action Markers have been placed. The Central Vacuole will
always still score in the final Round.

Players then have the chance to play any number of Cell Component Cards from their hands, paying
costs as normal, but ignoring all abilities and benefits other than the Health Points they score.

Players calculate their scores as follows:

Many Health Points have already been accumulated during the game by placing Carbohydrates
on the Cell Wall, advancing along the Central Vacuole Track, and playing Cell Component Cards.
Players score 4 Health Points for each unused Carbohydrate.
Specialization Cell Component Cards score Endgame Health Points as indicated (see p. 16).
Additional Water, CO 2 , Plant Growth Hormones, Proteins, and ATP do not score any Points.

The player with the most Health Points wins! In the case of a tie, the player furthest along the
Central Vacuole Track wins. In the case of a further tie, the player who receives the most Water
during the Sunrise Phase wins. If the tie remains, the victory is shared. 
18
 rules clarifications
RULES CLARIFICATIONS

In the Sunrise Phase, players may sequence their benefits in any order. You may, for example, collect Water
and CO2 and then use those resources for Photosynthesis. You could even use the Enzyme Production
ability to activate a GH3 Synthase Enzyme, move 1 of your Plant Board Markers, then collect the Plant Board
benefits of your new space (you would still only collect the benefits from that Marker once).
Each player must take a turn placing an Action Marker if they have any Action Markers remaining. Some
players may have more Action Markers than others and therefore take more turns. Once players have used
all their Action Markers, they will automatically pass their turns, and may not play Cards. In the very unlikely
scenario that a player has an Action Marker but no available legal actions, they pass.
Large Action Spaces may contain at most 1 Action Marker of each color, including Gray. You may activate
the same Large Space multiple times in a Round by using 1 Action Marker in your player color and 1 Gray
Action Marker, or by using a Protein Storage Vacuole to recover an Action Marker and play it again. You may
take different Action Spaces corresponding to the same action (for example, you may take both Large and
Small Action Spaces to Collect CO2).
Ties for the Central Vacuole Reward can affect how many Rewards and Gray Action Markers are awarded.
In a 1-3 game (1 Gray Action Marker as a Reward) a tie between players with the most Water in
their region of the Central Vacuole will result in all tying players moving up the Central Vacuole Track,
scoring Health Points, and removing their Water — but no one will receive a Gray Action Marker.
In a 4-5 game (2 Gray Action Markers as Rewards) there are more possibilities:
A 2-way tie with the most Water will earn only those players full Rewards.
A tie among 3 or more players means that tying players will score Points and remove their Water,
but no one will receive a Gray Action Marker for that Round.
A tie for the second-most Water (after a single player wins the majority) means the players tying
for second will receive the other benefits but no Gray Action Marker — only 1 Gray Action Marker
will be given out that Round.
Action Space abilities must be used, but Card and Plant Board bonuses are always optional. You may,
for example, play a Cellulose Synthetase Enzyme and decide not to Build the Cell Wall, or play a RuBisCO
Enzyme and only do Photosynthesis once.
When you play a Protein Storage Vacuole, immediately recover an Action Marker that you previously
placed on the Board. You won’t place it now (unless you have a Seed Embryo Card), but you will have an
extra turn this Phase. You can use a PSV to recover a Gray Action Marker that you placed.
When playing an Enzyme Card, you cannot pay 1 Protein to activate the Enzyme you just played. Enzymes
may be activated in any order, but only once for each new Enzyme that is played.
Using the ability on Seed Embryo after playing a Protein Storage Vacoule allows you to immediately
place another Action Marker, but you cannot then play another Card (so, you cannot chain together
PSV Cards to take more than 2 consecutive actions).
Having 2 Seed Embryo Cards does not allow you to place 2 Action Markers when playing a PSV. Having
2 Enzyme Production or Aquaporin Cards does let you use their abilities twice in the Sunrise Phase.
19
 SCENARIOS AND THE
MANGROVE PLANT BOARD
Once players are familiar with Cellulose, Scenario Cards and the alternate Plant Board can be
used to add additional variety and challenges. These are not recommended for new players, as
they deliberately shift the focus of the game in irregular ways.

SCENARIOS
To play with a Scenario, choose a Scenario Card and follow the setup and gameplay
instructions on the Card. Scenarios allow players to explore the unique adaptations of
different plant species. Two Scenarios are included with Cellulose:
The Cactus Scenario highlights the features of the cactus family that allow cacti to survive in
dry conditions. Water is scarce but valuable, and players must adapt accordingly.

The Mangrove Scenario makes use of the alternate Mangrove Plant Board that changes how
players progress in the game. Mangroves have access to plentiful but brackish water, and
struggle through harsh conditions as they support large ecological networks.

THE MANGROVE PLANT BOARD

The alternate side of the Plant Board contains a Mangrove Tree, which may be used instead of the
standard Sprout Plant Board (with or without the Mangrove Scenario). It works the same as the
standard Plant Board with the following changes:
Players taking a Root Growth action may move their Root
Growth Markers freely along the root paths connecting
different spaces, paying the cost of the space they move
to. This allows them to move sideways between paths or
even “backwards” throughout the game.
The bottom-most spaces of the three paths each have a
powerful bonus action attached. A player taking a Root
Growth action from these spaces may pay the indicated
cost to take the corresponding bonus action, then place Example: David has been earning
their Root Growth Marker on any of the 3 Root Growth Health Points on the rightmost
Track spaces showing a . The bonus actions provide Root Track, but is ready to shift his
the following benefits: strategy. He takes a Root Growth
You may activate any number of your Enzyme benefits Action and pays 2 Hormones to
without paying Proteins. receive , then places his Plant
Growth Marker on the left middle
You may take the Build Cell Wall action up to 2 times.
space, where he will start receiving
Score 7 Health Points. 1 Cell Component Card each Sunrise.
20
 solo mode
CELLULOSE SOLO RULES

Cellulose may be played as a solo game against an automa opponent named Ivy.
When playing the solo game, your turns and actions follow the regular game
rules. Ivy’s turns, however, are determined by drawing from her deck of Action
Cards, which will instruct you where to place her Action Markers and what
decisions she makes. Instead of using the Plant Board, Ivy has her own Growth
Track and Strategy Map on Ivy’s Mat. These will track and shape her evolving strategy each game. The
following rules assume you already know the basic multiplayer game.

SETUP Ivy’s Setup (Easy)

Choose whether to play an Easy, Medium, or Hard
game against Ivy.

Set up for a normal 2 game in which you will begin

STRATEGY MAP GROWTH TRACK
as First Player (Ivy receives no starting resources).
Ivy will not place her Markers on the Plant Board.
Instead, place Ivy’s Mat in her area showing the side !
/

labeled with the difficulty you have chosen. Place

! /
1 of her Plant Markers in the center space of the 1

Strategy Map as her Strategy Marker, and the other

!
on the bottom space of her Growth Track, as shown.

Separate the Action Cards into 3 types by the

Easy

symbol in the bottom right corner ( , , or

). Shuffle the Cards and place them face
down in Ivy’s area as her starting Action Card deck, (NEW)
(OLD)
then set the other Action Cards aside for now.

For a Hard game, give Ivy 2 Specialization Cards on

IVY’S HAND
different Strategy Map axes (that is, 1 Card for the
Growth or Enzyme Strategy, and 1 Card for the PSV or
Central Vacuole Strategy). These may be selected or ACTION CARDS
randomized. Put these Cards in play, and adjust Ivy’s
Strategy Map accordingly (see below).

Note on Resources: Over the course of the game, Ivy will only ever acquire Carbohydrate,
6x Water, and 6x CO2 resources. She will take actions pertaining to the other resources,
but will never actually take or spend them: her rules always modify these actions.
Whenever she takes Cell Component Cards, add them to her face-up hand, below her
Mat. Add new cards to the right of older Cards — she will often play older Cards first.
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 IVY’S STRATEGY MAP
Ivy’s Mat has two features on it: her Strategy Map and her Growth Track. Her Strategy Map is a 5x5
grid that tracks and determines Ivy’s play style. Her Strategy Marker begins in the middle of the map
and will move to track her progress among 4 potential Strategies (the colored bands on the edges).

Ivy moves her Strategy Marker when the following occur:

Move right toward the Protein Storage Vacuole Strategy !

whenever Ivy gains a PSV Card.
1

Move left toward the Central Vacuole Strategy for each

Health Point Ivy scores as a Central Vacuole Reward.

Move up toward the Growth Track Strategy when Ivy moves her Easy

Plant Growth Marker to cover an arrow on her Growth Track.

Move down toward the Enzyme Strategy whenever Ivy gains an Enzyme Card.

Finally, move in the corresponding direction each time Ivy takes a Specialization Card
(right for Seed Embryo, left for Aquaporin, up for Cytokinin or Gibberellin Receptors, or
down for Enzyme Production).

Ivy’s Strategy Marker will initially move around the Strategy Map in any direction as the event
triggers occur, until she reaches the spaces on the outside edges. Once Ivy’s Strategy Marker
reaches any of the 4 colored edges, she has chosen that Strategy, and her Strategy Marker
will never move out of that particular edge region.

For example, if Ivy’s Strategy Marker ever moves

all the way left to the Central Vacuole Strategy,
she gains the Central Vacuole Strategy and her
Strategy Marker can never move back right
again, even if she gains more PSV Cards. It can
still move up and down until it reaches the top
or bottom edge. In this way, she will usually
reach 1 of the 4 corners on the Strategy Map by
the end of the game.
Ivy’s Strategies are indicated by icons highlighting
the corresponding edge, such as for the
Central Vacuole.
Example: Ivy plays an Enzyme that draws
her an “Aquaporin” Cell Component Card.
She moves her Strategy Marker left, into the
Central Vacuole Strategy region. She has now
committed to this Strategy, and adds the
corresponding Action Card to her discard pile.
(In a Medium or Hard game, she will begin
receiving a Sunrise Bonus of adding 2 Water
to the Central Vacuole).
1

When Ivy gains any Strategy, take the set-aside

Action Card with the matching Strategy icon
(that is, for Enzyme Strategy) and add it to Easy

Ivy’s Action Card discard pile.

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 solo mode

In a Medium or Hard game, Ivy unlocks additional bonuses when she gains a Strategy.
If she has the PSV Strategy, she earns 2 additional Health Points for each
of her PSV Cards during Endgame Scoring.

If she has the Central Vacuole Strategy, she adds 2 Water to the Central Vacuole
each Sunrise.

If she gains the Enzyme Strategy, immediately draw Cell Component Cards from the
deck until 2 Enzyme Cards are revealed, and put them into her play area. She doesn’t
score Health Points or take their benefits, but they can be activated as she plays
future Enzyme Cards. Shuffle the other Cards back into the deck.

If she has the Growth Track Strategy, she will take the Build Cell Wall action, if
possible, after receiving Sunrise benefits each Round.

IVY’S GROWTH TRACK

Ivy uses a special Growth Track on her Mat instead of

the normal Plant Board. The / Growth actions
(including on Enzyme activations) will allow her to
advance up her Track, without paying additional costs.
She will receive any indicated immediate bonuses, and
begin earning the Sunrise benefits as normal.
/
In addition to the familiar icons on Ivy’s !
Growth Track, the 3rd and 4th spaces can
receive 6 Water or 6 CO 2, whichever resource /
1
she has less of. If she has the same number of !
both (or none of either), she will take Water.

Ivy’s Growth Track has two interactions with her Strategy

!
Map. First, when moving onto the 3rd and 4th space, move
her Strategy Marker upward for each arrow shown ( ).
(Note that 3 arrows means that this will always commit
her to the Hormone Strategy, if she has not already chosen
Easy

the Enzyme Strategy.) Additionally, Ivy cannot move to

the final space on her Growth Track unless she has a
Hormone Strategy.

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 IVY’S TURNS AND ACTION CARDS
On each of Ivy’s Daytime Phase turns, while she has at least 1 Action Marker remaining, draw
the top Action Card from her deck (reshuffle her discard pile if none are available to draw).
Check the actions shown in the bars on the Action Card. Ivy will perform the topmost action
that she is able to do with her available resources and Action Markers. Some of the actions
have special conditions for her to take that action, as described below. If she cannot do any
of the actions shown, draw another Action Card. After performing an action on an Action Card,
she may also play a Cell Component Card, as described below.

When placing on an Action Space, Ivy will use Gray Action Markers first (if able), and will
always place on the best available Action Space (to block you: it usually won’t affect her
action). Her versions of the actions are as follows:
As long as the Water Level is not empty, collect 6 Water (regardless of the current Water
Level), and additionally add the indicated Water to her region of the Central Vacuole.

Collect 6 CO2 (regardless of which Action Space is taken).

Collect 6 Water or 6 CO2, whichever Ivy has less of. If she has the same number of both
(or none of either), she will take Water. If the Water Level is out, she will take CO2. If taking
Water, also add the indicated Water to her region the Central Vacuole.

Perform Photosynthesis, using the 2x Action Space if possible. Some versions of this action
( 2x
(
will only use the 2x Photosynthesis, so Ivy will not take the action if she does not have the
resources or the 2x Action Space is not available.

Build the Cell Wall, adding 1 Water to the Central Vacuole. On some versions of this action, Ivy
(
(
will only do so if it yields the indicated minimum number of Health Points.

(
(
Place an Action Marker on the indicated Action Space (the Ribosome or Mitochondria) and
( score the indicated Health Points, if any are shown. (No resources are taken or paid.)
(

Place 2 Action Markers simultaneously — 1 on a Collect Hormone Space and 1 on the indicated
Growth Space (or the Action Space costing 1 Protein, but she need not pay), then advance her
Growth Marker. An Action Space of each type must be available to take this action, and she
must have 2 Action Markers. Note that she may not move to the final space on her Growth
Track unless she has the Hormone Strategy ( ).

Take First Player if she does not already have it, then draw a Cell Component Card into Ivy’s Hand.

Take 1 of the face-up Cell Component Cards of the type shown into Ivy’s Hand (without
paying CO2). If there are multiple suitable options, she will take the Card in the left-most
(cheapest) available space.
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 solo mode
Some of Ivy’s actions are preceded by additional conditions, and she
will only take that action if the condition is met:

Only take this action if Ivy has the matching Strategy (in this case, Enzymes).
If multiple Strategies are shown, she will only do an action corresponding to a
Strategy she has. For example, means she will take a Specialization Card
matching 1 of her Strategies.

Only take this action if Ivy has a Cell Component Card of the indicated type in her
hand. (She will typically play it afterwards.)

Only take this action if Ivy has fewer than 4 Cell Component Cards in her hand.

Example: On her first turn of the Round, Ivy draws this Action Card
(with plenty of resources). She first considers taking the Build Cell
Wall action, but the next available space will not score 8 Health
Points. Next, she considers the 2x Photosynthesis action, but the
Action Space has just been taken by the solo player. Finally, she takes
the best available Protein Space with her Gray Action Marker. Ivy does
not gain the 5 Protein, but she gains 2 Health Points.

GROWING IVY’S ACTION CARD DECK

Ivy has 3 kind of Action Cards. New Action Cards will be added to her Action Card discard
pile throughout the game, and reshuffled in as her deck runs out:

Ivy starts with the Level 1 Action Cards.

Ivy adds the Level 2 Action Cards to her discard pile as soon as the first section of
the Cell Wall is complete (that is, when the 4th Carbohydrate is placed).

When Ivy chooses a new Strategy by moving onto that edge of her Strategy Map,
she adds the 1 matching Action Card to her discard pile. (For example, she adds
the Action Card if she gains the Enzyme Strategy.)

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 IVY’S CELL COMPONENT CARDS
Ivy gains Cell Component Cards into her face-up “hand”, below her
Mat, adding new Cards to the right. While the first section of the
Cell Wall is being built, she will not play any Cell Component Cards.
Once the has been reached on
the Cell Wall, she may begin playing Cell
Component Cards as part of her turns.

After completing an action on an

Action Card, the bottom half of some
Action Cards instruct Ivy to play a
particular type of Cell Component Card, if she has that Card in
hand and can afford to do so. If she has more than 1 Card of that
type, she will play the oldest (leftmost) in her hand. On the Action
Cards showing 2 options for Card plays, she will play the top type
if possible, and the bottom type if not.

As she plays Cell Component Cards, move them into her play area.
It is recommended to keep Enzyme Cards in a stack to the left of (OLD) (NEW)
her Player Mat (to track activations), and the rest of the Cards IVY’S HAND
above her Mat (to indicate that they’ve been played).

Ivy plays Cell Component Cards with the following modifications:

Ivy will always pay 2 to play a Starch Card, earning 12 . She will then draw 1 Cell
Component Card.

Ivy always pays 6 Water ( ) to play a Protein Storage Vacuole, earning 4 . She will then
take back the Action Marker she placed for that turn ( ).

Ivy plays Enzyme Cards for free, since she does not use Protein or ATP resources (though this
often follows placing an Action Marker on a Protein Action Space). She then gains its Health
Points and immediate bonus (if able), and she adds it to her stack of Enzymes.

After playing an Enzyme Card, Ivy will also activate some number of previously played
Enzymes (in this case, 2). Take the bottom-most Enzyme Card in the stack that has a
benefit Ivy can use, activate its ability, and move it to the top of her Enzyme stack. Repeat
this for as many different Enzymes as she can activate (at most once per Enzyme Card).

Ivy plays Specialization Cards for free, since she does not use Protein or ATP resources (though
this often follows placing an Action Marker on an ATP Action Space). She ignores the abilities
of these Cards, but scores them at the end of the game. The Gibberellin and Cytokinin Receptor
Cards will always score her 6 Endgame Health Points.
26
 Example: Ivy draws the Action Card shown and skips the first action, since she
has no Specialization Cards in hand. She does have an Enzyme Card in hand, so
she places an Action Marker on a Gain Protein Action Space.

On the bottom half of the Card, she again cannot play a Specialization Card
but will play her Enzyme. She takes its immediate benefit (3 Health Points
and a Card draw) and adds it to her stack of Enzymes. She then activates the
bottom-most 2 eligible Enzyme Cards. In this case, she earns 2 Health Points
from the bottom Enzyme, skips the next one (she has no Carbohydrates to place), and adds 2 Water to
the Central Vacuole. The 2 activated Enzymes are moved to the top of the stack.

EVENING PHASE AND GAME END

The Evening Phase occurs normally. Remember, once the Cell Wall is built up to , Ivy will add
Action Cards to her discard and may begin playing Cell Component Cards. When the game ends, Ivy
scores normally with the one exception that her Gibberellin and Cytokinin Receptor Cards will always
score her 6 Endgame Health Points.

CREDITS

Design Steve Schlepphorst, John J. Coveyou

Development Steve Schlepphorst, John J. Coveyou, Daniel Dávalos
Solo Design Steve Schlepphorst
Art Tomasz Bogusz
Graphic Design Sarah Lafser
3D Modeling Neilan Naicker
Rulebook Writing Steve Schlepphorst, Jonathan Leggo, Andreas Boehm,
and Editing Daniel Dávalos, Al Cann, David Haskins
Playtesting Bailey Preib, Swarnava Banerjee, Jonathan Leggo, Paul Salomon,
Julien Lemale, Scott Garbacz, Teagan Parkin, Ian Simpson, Sören Lohse,
Don Liles, Darren Greenberg, Alejandro Quesada Rodriguez, Boryana Koseva,
Pablo Exposito, Charles-Antoine Papillon, Julie Simpson, Christina McGonigle,
Eric Seo, Jocelyn Medei, Bella Medei, James Patterson, Emily Patterson,
Elizabeth Patterson, John Patterson, Jared Patterson, Laura Patterson,
Natasha C., Maelynn C., Mike S., Richard Davenport, Laurie Davenport,
Steven Dursch, Tina Bushey, Jay Bushey, Brandon Shishido,
Patrick Fitzgibbon, Darby Ratliff, Abby Wojcik
REFERENCE GUIDE

sunrise Evening
Take income according Players recover their Action Markers ( )
to Plant Board ( )
round structure

and your Cell Component Player(s) with most in the advance on

Cards in play the track and score , remove their , and
take a Gray (4-5 : awarded twice)

Add 1 to the Cell Wall, check for Game End

daytime
Players take turns placing Reset Water Level to last completed
to immediately take the section / /
corresponding action, then Remove any Cards in space(s) with X, slide
may play 1 all to the left, and refill Cards in empty spaces

Take shown by the Water Level and Water

move Water Level down once
May add 0-3 to the Central Vacuole CO 2
resources
Take shown on Action Space and Protein
action spaces

/ Take the indicated resources Carbohydrate

Pay 1 to take Hormone

Pay 6 +6 for 1 ATP

Add 1 to the next space on the Cell Wall,

scoring , and May pay 1 Protein
each to activate
Pay the indicated cost on the Plant Board to previously-played
/ advance your corresponding Plant Board Marker (p. 15)

Draw, then discard,

cards

the indicated
Gain Health Points number of Cards
Other icons

Add to your region of the Central Vacuole (from supply) Recover 1 of your

Draw the top Cell Component Card Endgame Health

Points and bonus
Receive the indicated benefit during each Sunrise Phase
powers (p. 16)